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How to Unpack Most Effectively After Moving House

August 8, 2017

For families moving within Mississauga, Ontario or other Canadian cities, know that moving houses is really a four-stage process. The first stage is pre-planning and packing, second stage includes inventory and loading the truck, third stage is delivery of furniture to your new home and the final stage is unpacking all your cartons and putting items away.

If you chose to have a moving company like Premiere Van Lines pack some, or all your cartons, unpacking services are a great option to include. Unpacking with a moving company means you’ll have help removing items properly from cartons, elimination of all debris from your home and the assistance of placing belongings securely on available surfaces.

Often, people say they prefer to do their own unpacking so they can go at their own pace. However, if you have a lot to unpack and require extensive assistance, a valet service can be arranged on a reasonable hourly-charge basis. At Premiere, we offer this service where professional unpackers will work with you over a period of days to complete all the unpacking necessary and get items put away where directed.

On the other hand, if you’ve done all your own packing to begin with, then the job of unpacking will fall to you. The important thing is to stay organized and create a pre-plan that’ll make tackling this much easier.

Check out these top tips on how to effectively unpack a household:

1. Properly Mark Cartons Before the Move

This is something that must be done prior to moving in order for it to help you at the unpacking stage. Cartons should be marked by room designation and contents so you’ll save time and avoid frustration when it’s time to unpack.

2. Unpack Bed Linens and Bathroom Essentials on Move-In Day

Once the movers have left you’ll probably end up feeling quite tired. With any normal household, it can take six to eight hours to get everything moved in. The last thing you want to do is spend many more hours unpacking those tens (or hundreds) of boxes immediately after. Most people just want to spend their first night getting bedding set up and resting. That’s why unpacking towels and other bathroom essentials first will ensure your family can shower and take care of themselves.

3. Set Up for Breakfast

It’s usually a wise idea to eat out on the first night in your new home. One you way back, you can pick up a few breakfast essentials if you’re planning on breakfast at the new house. From there, you’ll need to unpack a few dishes, coffee maker and toaster etc. before calling it a night. This will give you a good start to your next day.

4. Unpack Kitchen

For most families, the kitchen is the hub of the home. Setting it up fully will go a long way toward making you comfortable. Make sure you’ve purchased some shelf liners in advance and have a few cleaning cloths on hand so you can wipe down the insides of your cupboards. Most people prefer to wash their dishes before they put them away. Unpack the dishes first so they can be put in the dishwasher. Then unpack pots and pans, small appliances, baking pans, cutlery etc. Put everything away where they’ll be most convenient for everyday use.

5. Unpack Dining Room Dishes

If you have a separate set of dishes for your dining room, unpack them next and wash them if necessary. Other items that go with your dining hutch or buffet can also be unpacked at this time and put away.

6. Unpacking Clothing

Tackle the bedrooms next by unpacking clothing items and putting them in closets or dressers. Then move on to other small items like books, jewelry and décor.

7. Unpack Wall Art and Accessories

Remove pictures and mirrors from their cartons and decide where they’ll be placed. Use proper picture hangers or other hardware to hang these items. Using a leveler will ensure everything is hung straight, and you’ll also need some basic tools like a hammer and power drill to get things done.

8. Unpack Tools, Garage Items and Garden Supplies

Once you have the house set up you can move to items typically stored in the basement, garage or garden shed.

9. Fold Boxes and Separate Packing Paper

As you work through your home, unpacking on a room-by-room basis, take the time to break down cartons and put packing paper into clear garbage bags so they can be recycled.

10. Repack Items Destined for Storage

If, as you unpack, you find things that you won’t be using for a while, repack these items so they can be stored away in the basement or other storage areas. Ensure to also put new labels on these cartons so they’ll be easy to identify.

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Testimonials

The movers went beyond the scope of their job and paid special attention to details that I had pointed out on pieces of furniture and areas in my home. I am proud to say that with Neil West and his crew, I will certainly refer Premiere Van Lines to friends, clients buying and selling and to employees in my company. Thanks once again for all your help.